


Wormtail's Tale

by why_me_why_not



Series: Harry Potter fairy tales [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:47:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29472678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/why_me_why_not/pseuds/why_me_why_not
Summary: Wormtail, the rat who was once a wizard named Peter (or Peter, the wizard who was once a rat in more than one definition of the word), ran through the town, dodging people and wrecking havoc.
Series: Harry Potter fairy tales [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2164797





	1. Happily Ever After

The little rat ran through the town, dodging people and wrecking havoc. Shortly after leaving the ruins of the little brick house that had once belonged to Sirius Black, Wormtail, the rat who was once a wizard named Peter (or Peter, the wizard who was once a rat in more than one definition of the word), encountered a familiar-looking grey-striped tabby cat with a murderous gleam in her eyes. 

She started chasing him, and he taunted her by singing, “Run, run, as fast as you can. You can’t catch me because I’m Wormtail!” Peter never did understand the essence of poetry.

And the cat pursued him down a forest path. Soon there was a screeching noise from above. Wormtail looked up and saw a large tawny owl swooping down towards him and quickly ducked into a pile of underbrush. It was Hermes, the owl that belonged to the Potters. The owl that made its perch next to Harry’s crib to watch over the boy while he slept. 

Wormtail taunted the bird with the same song he had used on the cat. “Run, run, as fast as you can. You can’t catch me because I'm Wormtail!”

Enraged, Hermes dived toward the rat again, but the owl, getting slower in his old age, was unable to follow Peter-the-rat under the fallen logs and such. 

Reaching the end of the wooded path, Wormtail and his pursuers found a small shack with a yard full of red-haired children. Wormtail jumped up onto the porch and through a kitchen window with the cat and owl close behind him. The plump mother in the kitchen brandished the non-magical broom she had been using to sweep the floor and joined in the chase, her children tagging along after her. Wormtail was going to shout over his shoulder and repeat his sing-song taunt, but decided not to bother since most people—even wizards, witches, and children—did not speak or understand animal.

Suddenly, Wormtail arrived at a river that was too deep and too swift for him to cross. A glance behind him confirmed that the cat, the owl, and the redheaded woman and her children were all closing in on him. Then he looked towards the river again and saw a creature he feared more than those behind him: the large black dog that was Sirius Black. 

“Sirius, my friend, you’re alive! I didn’t think any of you survived!” Wormtail squeaked, hoping to trick Sirius into helping him. “Please, help me get away!”

It was very hard to tell what Sirius was thinking when he was Padfoot-the-dog, so Wormtail was very nervous as Padfoot studied the rat silently for a moment.

Finally, Padfoot responded. “How well do you know Muggle fairy tales, Pete?”

“Huh?” It doesn’t take much to confuse Peter, when he was Wormtail or in his human form. Actually, he didn’t know much about Muggle fairy tales, having failed Muggle studies, and never understood Remus and Sirius’ fascination with Lily’s storytelling.

“Hop on my back, and I’ll carry you across the river.” If dogs could grin, Sirius-as-Padfoot would have been wearing a decidedly evil one. But alas, dogs cannot grin, and therefore Wormtail was unable to detect the malicious intent behind the offer.

So Wormtail jumped on Padfoot’s back and Padfoot swam out into the river. As they swam away from the shore, the water rose higher and higher. 

Soon, Padfoot said, “The water is rising, Peter. You’ll have to jump up on my head.”

So Wormtail jumped up on Padfoot’s head, but the water was still steadily rising. 

“Peter, you’ll have to climb to the tip of my nose.”

So Wormtail climbed to the tip of Padfoot’s nose, and, quick as a flash, Padfoot tossed his head back, sending Wormtail flying into the air. When he came back down, Padfoot was ready for him, jaws wide open. With one large gulp, he swallowed the rat that was once Peter Pettigrew. Peter died of fright on the way down because the idea of seeing what was in Padfoot’s stomach—or Sirius’ stomach, for that matter—was enough to frighten anyone. 

Padfoot turned around midstream and swam back to the bank. The cat, the owl, and the redheaded family were all staring at him. He shook himself off in Padfoot form, showering everyone with droplets of water and spreading the wet dog smell. Then, he transformed back into Sirius, laughing at the expressions on the others’ faces, and let out a large belch.

“I think _that_ is going to give me indigestion!” he announced with a cheeky grin.


	2. Second Verse, Not the Same as the First

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Same story, alternate ending

The little rat ran through the town, dodging people and wrecking havoc. Shortly after leaving the ruins of the little brick house that had once belonged to Sirius Black, Wormtail, the rat who was once a wizard named Peter (or Peter, the wizard who was once a rat in more than one definition of the word), encountered a familiar-looking grey-striped tabby cat with a murderous gleam in her eyes. 

She started chasing him, and he taunted her by singing, “Run, run, as fast as you can. You can’t catch me because I’m Wormtail!” Peter never did understand the essence of poetry.

And the cat pursued him down a forest path. Soon there was a screeching noise from above. Wormtail looked up and saw a large tawny owl swooping down towards him and quickly ducked into a pile of underbrush. It was Hermes, the owl that belonged to the Potters. The owl that made its perch next to Harry’s crib to watch over the boy while he slept. 

Wormtail taunted the bird with the same song he had used on the cat. “Run, run, as fast as you can. You can’t catch me because I'm Wormtail!”

Enraged, Hermes dived toward the rat again, but the owl, getting slower in his old age, was unable to follow Peter-the-rat under the fallen logs and such. 

Reaching the end of the wooded path, Wormtail and his pursuers found a small shack with a yard full of red-haired children. Wormtail jumped up onto the porch and through a kitchen window with the cat and owl close behind him. The plump mother in the kitchen brandished the non-magical broom she had been using to sweep the floor and joined in the chase, her children tagging along after her. Wormtail was going to shout over his shoulder and repeat his sing-song taunt, but decided not to bother since most people—even wizards, witches, and children—did not speak or understand animal.

Suddenly, Wormtail arrived at a river that was too deep and too swift for him to cross. A glance behind him confirmed that the cat, the owl, and the redheaded woman and her children were all closing in on him. Then he looked towards the river again and saw a creature he feared more than those behind him: the large black dog that was Sirius Black. 

The dog began to growl at Wormtail, and the red-haired woman, feeling her family was being threatened, quickly pulled out her wand and stunned the creature. One of the boys, a young lad about five years old, rushed forward and scooped up the little rat. 

“Percival Ignatius Weasley!” the mother yelled. “Put that _thing_ down now!”

“But, mum!” whined the little boy. “I promise to take care of him! He can be my own pet, my friend!”

After a short bit of arguing, the mother finally sighed and agreed to let the boy keep the rat. No one noticed the little rat slip away while the children were napping that afternoon. Later that night he earned the name “Scabbers” when Percy realized he was missing a toe.

And that’s the tale of how the rat formerly known as Wormtail became Scabbers, pet rat of Percy Weasley.


End file.
